Hearty Spices

Boil 4 Eggs , peel and quarter them. Heat  ½ tbsp of Oil in a pan, saute few Curry Leaves, 2 slit Green Chillis, ¼ tsp minced Ginger and 1 sliced Large Onion for 4-5 minutes. Add a pinch of Turmeric Powder, pinch of Methi Powder, pinch of Cumin Powder, ½ tsp of Coriander Powder, ¼ tsp of Red Chilli Powder, pinch of Garam Masala Powder and Salt to taste . Add ½ tsp of Kasuri Methi (dried Fenugreek Leaves) and combine. Place the quartered boiled eggs and cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes mixing in between. Cook for another minute and remove from heat. Garnish with chopped Coriander Leaves and serve warm with rice.

Heat 1 tbsp of Oil and a tsp of Ghee in a pan / pressure cooker, add and saute 1 tsp of Shahjeera, 6 Cloves, 1" Cinnamon stick and 2 Cardamoms  for 30 seconds. Add  a large thinly sliced Onion, 4 slit Green Chillies  and saute for 3 minutes. Add 1 tsp of Ginger Garlic paste, 12-15 Mint Leaves and ½ tsp of Kasoori Methi (dried Fenugreek Leaves) and saute for 4-5 minutes. Add 1 tsp of Red Chili Powder, a Pinch of Roasted Cumin Powder and mix. Add 2 large chopped Tomatoes, Salt to taste and mix. Cook for 8-9 minutes on low heat till the oil separates. Add 2 cups of Raw Rice and saute for a minute. Add 3¾ cups of Water and bring to a boil, cooking till the rice is done. Garnish with fresh Coriander Leaves and serve with raita.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together a cup of Butter, a cup of White Sugar and a cup of Brown Sugar until light. Beat in 2 Eggs, one at a time, followed by 2 tsp of Vanilla Extract . Whisk in 3 cups of All Purpose Flour, 2 tsp of Corn starch (optional), a tsp of Baking Powder, a tsp of Baking Soda and a tsp of Salt , gradually blend in the flour mixture until no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Stir in 2 cups of Chocolate Chips . Drop 1½ inch balls of cookie dough onto prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies to allow for spread. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until cookies are set and lightly browned around the edges. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 3½ – 4 dozen cookies.

Heat a tbsp of Oil in a pan; sauté ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds and 1 tsp of Cumin seeds . Add few Curry Leaves, 2 chopped Onions to the pan along with 4 slit Green Chilies and fry till the onions are translucent. Add a pinch of Turmeric Powder and Salt to taste , mixing well. Break 4 Eggs into the pan and stir well breaking the scrambled egg into smaller pieces. Add 1 tsp of Red Chilli Powder and combine well. When the egg are cooked, remove from heat, garnish with chopped Coriander Leaves and serve with rotis or rice.

Vegetable Balls -  In a bowl, combine 2 tbsp of All Purpose Flour , 2 tbsp of Corn Flour, ½ tbsp of Rice Flour, a tbsp of Corn Starch, Salt as needed, 1 tbsp of Ginger Garlic Paste, ½ tsp of Pepper Powder, ¼ tsp of Soy Sauce and 2 packed cups of finely chopped Cabbage, grated Carrot and finely chopped Spring Onion whites . Sprinkle little Water if needed to make a thick mixture and form small balls.  Deep Fry  / Air Fry -   Heat   Oil   for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel.  Carefully place each ball into the hot oil on reduced heat and deep fry the vegetable balls till cooked. Increase the heat towards the end of the cooking process and fry till they turn golden brown. Remove onto absorbent paper and keep aside. If you are using air fryer, set the temperature at 380F and bake the balls for 15 minutes. Manchurian - Heat a tbsp of Oil to piping hot in a large wok, add and stir fry 1½ tbsp of finely minced Garlic for a ...

Clean, peel and chop  a Ridgegourd (Beerakaya) into small pieces. Heat  a tbsp of Oil in a pan; splutter and saute ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds, ½ tsp of Cumin Seeds, a pinch of Asafetida, 1 tbsp of Chana Dal, 1 tbsp of Urad Dal and 5-6 slit Green Chilies . Once the dals are roasted a bit, add a pinch of Turmeric Powder and chopped beerakaya to the pan. Cover cook until the beerakaya is done cooked. Add Salt as needed  and remove from heat and let it cool. Grind the mixture into a smooth paste with a tbsp of Tamarind Paste . Garnish with Coriander Leaves and serve with White Rice.

Preheat oven to 350 F and prepare the baking sheet. Cookies - In a small saucepan over medium low heat brown ½ cup of Unsalted Butter by adding it to the pan and let it bubble; stirring constantly. When there is butter starts to turn brown, remove from heat and pour immediately into a bowl. Add 2/3 cup of Brown Sugar. an Egg, a tsp of Vanilla Extract and cream them together. Add  1½ cups of All Purpose Flour, ¼ tsp of Baking Powder, ¼ tsp of Baking Soda and ¼ tsp of Salt . Refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes and then roll into 1 tsp balls and bake on the baking sheet at 350 for10 minutes until the edges are just slightly brown. Flatter them a little in between. Let cool completely before adding the frosting. Frosting - Beat together 4 Tbsp of softened Unsalted Butter with the 1 cup of powdered Sugar . Add Zest and Juice of a Lemon / Lime as needed. Stop adding juice if the icing is spreadable.Spread on the cooled cookie and top it w...

Soak ½ cup of Moong Dal for 4 hrs or overnight. Grind soaked Moong Dal, 100 gm of Grated Cheese, Salt to taste, few chopped Coriander Leaves and 4 chopped Green Chillies to a fine paste in a mixer grinder. Heat a pan and apply Oil to it. Apply 2 tbsp of paste on one side of a bread slice and place the applied side on the hot pan. Turn it over and roast on the other side until the bread turns light brown. Serve hot with Tomato Sauce or hot garlic sauce.

Beat 2 cups of Yogurt well into a bowl and add finely chopped ½ of Onion, 3 Green Chilies, ½ of Tomato and Salt as needed to it. Slowly add Water as needed  to the yogurt mixture till the right consistency is acquired. Garnish with few chopped Coriander Leaves and serve with any rice.

Preparation - Wash, peel and cut ½ kg of Ridgegourd (Beerakaya) into small pieces and keep aside. Fry ¾ cup of Pesara Vadiyalu (fritters) in hot oil and keep aside. Curry - Heat 2 tsp of Oil in a pan and sauté ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds, ½ tsp of Cumin Seeds and few Curry Leaves . When they splutter, add and sauté  chopped large Onion, 5-6 slit Green Chilies till the onion pieces are transparent. Add a pinch of Turmeric Powder , mix well and add the beerakaya pieces to the pan. Add Salt to taste and cover cook till the beerakaya pieces are soft. When the beerakaya pieces are soft and cooked, add ½ tsp of Red Chili Powder and fried Vadiyalu to the pan and mix well. Remove from heat, cover and let it stand for 5 minutes. Serve hot after garnishing with few chopped Coriander Leaves .

Blend 4 cups of Cold Watermelon Cubes along with a tbsp of Honey and 2 pinches of Chaat Masala . Serve in glasses, add ice cubes and garnish with a sprig of mint .

Batter - Wash and drain 2 cups of Rice, ½ cup of Barli, ½ cup of Beaten Rice/Poha and ½ cup of Sago thoroughly in water. Add 1 tbsp of Fenugreek Seeds, 1 cup of Yogurt, Sufficient Water and soak for 4 hours. Grind to fine batter and add Salt to taste . Mix well and ferment for an hour.  Crepe - Heat a dosa pan and spread a tsp of Oil over it. Spread the batter into a crepe (thick as Uthappam)and cover cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Brown on both sides, remove from heat and serve hot with any chutney. Peanut Chutney - Heat  a tbsp of Oil in pan and saute a crushed Garlic Clove for a few seconds till lightly brown. Add a tbsp of Urad Dal, ½ tbsp of Coriander Seeds, ½ tbsp of Cumin Seeds, few Dried Red Chillies  and saute till golden brown. Remove from heat and allow cooling. Grind along with a cup of Roasted Peanuts, small lime sized Tamarind, Salt to taste, ½ cup of Water till smooth and set aside. Popu for Chu...

Preparation - Clean, peel, boil and mash 2 Potatoes in a bowl. To it, add cleaned and finely chopped 2 bunches of Spinach Leaves, finely chopped 2-3 Fresh Green Chilies, finely chopped large Onion, 1½ tbsp of grated Ginger and finely chopped small bunch Coriander Leaves . Combine well and add crumbled 4-5 Bread Slices, coarsely pounded 1 tbsp of Coriander Seeds, a big pinch of Garam Masala Powder, a tsp of Amchur Powder / 1-2 tbsp of Lemon Juice, Salt to taste . Mix well and shape into round patties. Kebabs -  Heat a non-stick tawa and drizzle some oil. Place the kebabs and shallow fry on both sides till brown. Serve hot with tomato sauce.

Cashew Poppy Paste - Dry roast 1½ tbsp of Poppy Seeds for 4 minutes and soak along with 4 broken Cashewnuts in water for 10 minutes. Make paste out of them along with 4 tbsp of fresh grated Coconut and keep aside. Mutton - Clean, wash and cube 1 kg of Mutton and marinate with 1½ cup of Yogurt, 2 tsp of Red Chilli Powder, ½ tsp of Turmeric Powder, 1¼ tbsp of Coriander Powder, ¾ tsp of Cumin Powder and 1 tbsp of Ginger Garlic Paste . Keep aside for 30-40 minutes. Gravy - Heat a tbsp of Oil and Ghee in a heavy bottomed pan; saute 4 Cloves, 1 Green Cardamom, 1" Cinnamon Stick and a Bay Leaf for few seconds. Add 2 large chopped Onions, 5-6 slit Green Chilies  and saute till transparent. Add ½ tbsp of Ginger Garlic Paste and saute till browned. Add a large chopped Tomato and fry for 4-5 minutes. Add the marinated mutton and cook over medium heat with lid till the water from the meat and yogurt is almost absorbed. Add the cashe...

Ras – Heat 4 cups of Milk in a non-stick pan and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and cook the milk till it reduces to half the quantity, stirring continuously. Add a pinch of Saffron, a tbsp of Sugar to taste and mix well. Once the milk is reduced, add 2 tbsp of chopped Almonds and Pistachios, a pinch of Cardamom Powder and remove from heat. Malai - Heat 4 cups of Milk to a boil and slowly add 2 tbsp of Lemon Juice to it. When the milk curdles, remove from heat and strain in a cheesecloth. Pour cold water over the cheese cloth and drain the water off the paneer by hanging it over the tap for 30 minutes. Remove the paneer from the cheese cloth and knead till it becomes smooth dough. Make 12 small portions into balls and flatten them out without any cracks on the side. Heat 5 cups of Water in a pressure cooker, dissolve 1 cup of Sugar and add the flattened paneer discs. Close pressure cooker lid and cook until one whistle. Immediately switch off the stove and set the time...

Rice - Wash and soak 4 cups of Basmati Rice in a big bowl for about 30 minutes. Drain and keep aside. Add 1 tsp of Oil to a pan and sauté 1 tsp of Black Cumin Seeds till they sizzle and add the soaked rice along with Salt to taste . Add 9 cups of Water to the pan and bring to a boil and let it cook till the rice grains are just done. Drain and keep aside. Garnish – Peel and thinly slice 2 big Yellow Onions and keep aside. In a pan, heat 1 tbsp of Oil/Butter and fry the onions on low-medium heat until they are golden brown in color. Remove with a slotted spoon into a bowl and keep aside. Toast 3 tbsp of Almonds, Cashewnuts and Raisins in 1 tbsp of Butter/Oil and keep aside. Soak a pinch of Saffron in ½ cup of Warm Milk in a small bowl and keep aside. Mutton Gravy - In a pan, heat 2 tbsp of Oil/Butter and add washed and cubed 1 kg of Lean Lamb leg Meat . Stir fry till the meat has browned on all sides and add ½ of the fried onions, 2 tbsp of Ginger Garlic Paste and ½...

Roasted Red Pepper - Spray a large Red Pepper lightly with oil and roast over a flame, or broil in the oven at 450 F, till charred on the outside. Set aside and allow cooling. Once it comes to room temperature, peel the outside skin of the pepper and slice thinly. Caramelized Onions -  Heat 1 tbsp of Butter in a non-stick pan and saute a finely minced Garlic Clove, a large Onion, finely sliced with Salt to taste, Pepper to taste & ½ tsp of Curry Powder till caramelized and tender. Panini -  Layer roasted red pepper slices, caramelized onions, and top with Chopped Coriander Leaves and top with other slice of bread and heat in a Panini grill / pan till warm.

Marinade - Clean and cut the 500 gm of Chicken into bite-size pieces and marinate with 2 tsp of Vinegar, Salt to taste, ¼ tsp of Turmeric Powder and 1 tsp of Red Chili Powder for 3 hours. Then, boil the chicken in microwave or pan with closed lid for 10 minutes, till the water is evaporated. Masala Powder - Grind 3 tsp of Black Pepper Corns, 3" inch of Cinnamon, 5 Cloves, 2 Cardamoms, 1 Bay Leaf, 1 tsp of Red Chili Powder and ½ tsp of Coriander Powder  to a fine powder. Keep aside. Vepudu (Fry) - Heat a pan with 2 tbsp of Oil . Add 2 finely chopped medium Onions, few Curry Leaves and saute till they are brown in colour. Add 2 tsp of Ginger – Garlic Paste and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the boiled chicken, cook for 5-10 minutes, and add the masala powder. Cover cook for 20 minutes or till cooked. Remove from heat, garnish with Coriander Leaves and serve hot.

Grind ½ tsp of Cumin Seeds, ½ tsp of Fenugreek Seeds, a tsp of minced Ginger, 1 Green Chilli, 1 tsp of Mint Leaves, 1 tsp of chopped Corainder Leaves, 3 chopped Curry Leaves to a paste. Add 3 cups of Yogurt and 2 cups of Water to it and blend again. Add Salt to taste and couple of Ice Cubes and blend once again. Serve chilled.

In a saucepan, boil 5-6 cups of Water along with 2 tsp of Tamrind paste . Add Salt to taste, 3 tsp of Rasam Powder, ½ tsp of Sugar,  ½ tsp of Turmeric Powder and finely chopped 2 Tomatoes . Boil for 12-15 minutes and keep aside. Heat ½ tbsp of Oil in a pan, splutter  1 tsp of Mustard Seeds, 2 Red Chillies, few Curry Leaves, 3 crushed Garlic Flakes and a pinch of Hing . Add the seasoning to the boiled charu and garnish with 2 tbsp of Coriander Leaves . Serve with steamed white rice.